Thursday, July 21, 2011

Scream to Scream, Scene by Scene: END CREDITS of Scream 2 (1:47:39-1:55:31)

In this project I attempt to review the entire Scream trilogy scene by scene in chronological order. Heavy spoilers and gore throughout!

SCENE 31 (End Credits) of Scream 2Length: 7min 52secs

Cue inappropriate end credits song!

Randomly, this song that plays over the beginning of the end credits is, much like in the original, one of my favourite songs from the whole soundtrack. Along with D'Angelo's "She's Always In My Hair" from the opening scene, and "Your Lucky Day in Hell" by The Eels, Collective Soul's "She Said" is definitely a keeper. I know ranking Collective Soul alongside The Eels is considered sacrilege by many, but I just like it, okay? Reminds me of that great alt-rock period of the 1990s. Sigh.

Now, what I don't understand is what a song about an aging lush is doing as the big triumphant end scene. Anyone care to explain? Watch the video below, which features clips from Scream 2 interspersed. Using images of Neve Campbell's Sidney as they sing lyrics about "time isn't fair to a woman her age" and "she's seen better days" and you'll see how much they misread the lyrics. The video is so deliciously '90s though that I have to love it. Underwater ballet dancer putting on Ghostface mask!

Curious, too, that they chose a far more triumphant song choice to accompany the big end credits crane camera move, as opposed to the original which used a much darker track. If they never made another Scream movie then this would have been a very fitting ending. Apart from the lyrics.

I've said multiple times how wonderful and vivid the colours are in Scream 2, especially compared to the lower budget aesthetic of the original, so here is one last reminder.

Can we get a round of applause for Mr Craven and Mr Williamson, please? I think they deserved it after helping to bring the life one of the greatest ever sequels and one damn good film in general. I do still love that Kevin Williamson is perhaps the only horror film writer of the last few decades to actually be a name. Says a lot about the impact these movies had, I say. And even if Scream 4 didn't do the sort of business that everyone was hoping, the fact that so much press was made out of his return made me happy.

I like that the cinematographer gets the first credit title card after the screen goes to black. Like his own little ovation now that the curtain has closed.

The "return" of Ghostface in the credits has been taken by fans as meaning that he/she will be back. There was not one at the end of Scream 4. Make of that what you will.

Oh! It's time for the cast credits. For reason I get a real kick out of seeing these. One last reminder of all the awesome actors and characters. One last chance to go "awww" at their subsequent death.

I'm glad that Jamie Kennedy got upgraded to the main credits rather than the strange non-alphabetical order section that he was dumped in during the original's end credits. Meanwhile, would it had hurt them to add an extra slide for Omar Epps/Phillip Pavel/Christopher Doyle? I mean, they were all somewhat vital characters who died so it's almost like they're saying their deaths weren't important enough. They were just nothing characters. Hmmm.

4 comments:

This is probably either too difficult a question, or something you've answered and I've forgotten, but do you have a preference between the first two films? I remember your points near the start of this one about how different they are as films, but I'm constantly debating this with myself.

I loved the first one so much that I was afraid to watch the sequels. When I finally got to Scream 2, though, it almost jumped past the first in terms of affection. There are a couple of scenes that I think are a bit clunky, but the scene where Sidney and Hallie escape the car almost rivals the first film's Barrymore scene. It may have been the affection that I built up over the first film, but I was more worried for the main trio in this film than in any of the others. Although the second does suffer purely because of the lack of Tatum.

(and yes, I probably do spend far too much time thinking about these things)

Congratulations on finishing "Scream 2!" I want to say again how much I am enjoying this project.

And I have never seen that video. Wow. That's bad. But at least they tried something a little different. I guess they deserve some credit for that? Maybe? Maybe not. But it is a good song and an interesting choice.

The song along with Sidney's walk across campus makes her appear really strong, but we see that isn't the case in the third one.

And it is definitely a different direction than the ending of the first one, with Moby's phenomenal "First Cool Hive." That song gave the first film a very somber, eerie ending. At least that's how I've always felt. The tone is much different.

And I'm glad I am not alone in loving the title cards! I made sure to stick around for them when seeing the second, third and fourth films (didn't see the first in theatres, sadly). And I also noticed the lack of Ghostface in the end credits of "Scream 4," which made me think it was the end.

I love Scream 2...as we all do. I never really take to mind that closing song, except for that it was played in the cafeteria scene (where it was much more approprietley placed. It is SO late '90s, and though the film itself isn't dated by this era, it is a real artifact from such a different time when music, fads, and (pop) culture was at such a cool, turning point. But, again, its remarkable how well Scream 2 has been built to last, as it feels just as fresh as I'm sure it did in 1997.

The original's First Cool Hive has always felt very on edge and eerie as Weathers had said. It always gives me goosebumps and butterflies as Sid unties Neil, and then the camera cuts to Gail -- and the face she makes sticks in my mind. Then Dewey being taken away, Gail sharing her first-hand experience with the world, and that fade into the sunrise...No lyrics, and its a beautifully haunting piece. But it matches the first film so well, in that it feels alot more emotionally resonant and thought-provoking than the sequels. Not a single beat in the original that didn't feel genuine -- and the film provided more vivid, clarifying moments, actions, dialouge, expressions,etc. Not at all saying that this damages S2, it's just not always as emotionally engaging or doesn't quite render the kind of intimate or complex feelings. Though maybe it isn't so much a "flaw" as it is a personal attribute that worked wonders the first time.

The other cover of "I Think I Love You" over the titlecards however is an awesome way to end it, in a way. So we can see the old faces in a happy way (constrasting with the darker original). It's cool how its a love song we heard, but this time its sung well and professionally.

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